WORLD KINECT CORP

Overview

World Kinect Corporation (the "Company") was incorporated in Florida in July 1984 and along with its consolidated subsidiaries is referred to collectively in this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("2023 10-K Report") as "World Kinect," "we," "our," and "us."

In June 2023, the Company changed its name from World Fuel Services Corporation to World Kinect Corporation. We believe our new name reflects our ongoing transformation into a more resilient, diversified energy and solutions provider. Since the name change, our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under our new name as well as our new ticker symbol, "WKC."

We are a global energy management company offering fulfillment and related services to more than 150,000 customers across the aviation, marine, and land-based transportation sectors. We also supply natural gas and power in the United States and Europe along with a growing suite of other sustainability-related products and services.

We are a signatory to the United Nations ("U.N.") Global Compact and are focused on supporting the U.N.'s principles on human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption through progressing our goals and objectives. We have implemented enhancements to our policies, processes, and governance structure to further strengthen our support of environmental, health, safety, sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion and other social responsibility issues and impacts.

We conduct our operations through numerous locations both within the United States ("U.S.") and throughout various foreign jurisdictions. Our principal executive office is located at 9800 N.W. 41st Street, Miami, Florida 33178 and our telephone number at this address is 305‑428‑8000. Our internet address is https://www.world-kinect.com and the investor relations section of our website is located at https://ir.worldkinect.com. We make available free of charge, on or through the investor relations section of our website, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statements and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Also posted on our website are our Code of Conduct ("Code of Conduct"), Board of Directors’ committee charters and Corporate Governance Principles. Our website and information contained on our website are not part of this 2023 10-K Report and are not incorporated by reference in this 2023 10-K Report.

A reference to a "Note" herein refers to the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements within Part IV. Item 15. – Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this 2023 10-K Report.

Reportable Segments

We operate in three reportable segments consisting of aviation, land, and marine, where we offer fuel and related products and services to customers in these transportation industries.

Profit from our segments is generally determined by the volume and the unit margin achieved on fuel resales. Profitability in our segments also depends on our operating expenses, which may be materially affected to the extent that we are required to provide for potential credit losses. Corporate expenses are allocated to each segment based on usage, where possible, or other factors according to the nature of the activity. We evaluate and manage our business segments using the performance measure of income from operations.

Financial information with respect to our business segments, the geographic areas of our business and our customers is provided below and within Note 14. Business Segments, Geographic Information, and Major Customers.

Aviation Segment

We provide global aviation fuel supply and comprehensive service solutions to major commercial airlines, second and third-tier airlines, cargo carriers, regional and low-cost carriers, airports, fixed-based operators, corporate fleets, charter and fractional operators, and private aircraft. Our aviation-related service offerings include fuel management, price risk management, ground handling, 24/7 global dispatch services, and trip planning services, including flight planning and scheduling, weather reports and overflight permits. We also supply fuel and provide services to U.S. and foreign government and military customers. In addition, we offer payment and processing services, as well as operate a web-based marketplace platform that facilitates aircraft charter arrangements.

Given that fuel is a major component of an aircraft’s operating costs, our customers require cost-effective and professional fuel services. We have developed an extensive network of on-airport fueling operations and third-party suppliers and service providers that enable us to provide aviation fuel and related services throughout the world. We believe the breadth of our service offerings combined with our global supplier network is a strategic differentiator that allows customers to secure fuel and high-quality services in locations worldwide.

We purchase our aviation fuel from suppliers worldwide. Fuel may be delivered into our customers’ aircraft or to a designated storage facility located at one of our locations or our suppliers’ locations pursuant to arrangements with them. Inventory is purchased at airport locations or shipped, typically via pipelines or trucks, and held at multiple locations in order to meet the needs of our customers. We engage in contract sales, which are sales made pursuant to fuel purchase contracts with customers who commit to purchasing fuel from us over the contract term. We also conduct spot sales, which are sales that do not involve continuing contractual obligations by our customers to purchase fuel from us. Our cost of fuel is generally tied to market-based formulas or government-controlled prices. Additionally, we have been taking actions designed to increase the availability of renewable and lower-carbon fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel ("SAF") and are working to expand and develop our supply chain to meet customer demand.

Land Segment

In our land segment, we primarily offer fuel, lubricants, heating oil, and related products and services to commercial, industrial, residential and government customers, as well as retail petroleum operators. We provide energy advisory services, sustainability solutions, as well as supply fulfillment for natural gas and power. We primarily conduct these activities throughout most of the U.S. as well as parts of the United Kingdom ("U.K.") and Brazil. We continue to focus on supporting the energy transition through various initiatives and expanding our sustainability offerings, including renewable fuel products, and carbon management and renewable energy solutions, such as renewable diesel (also known as hydrotreated vegetable oil or "HVO"), biodiesel, and renewable natural gas (biogas). We are continuing to invest in talent in this area, which we believe will help accelerate growth in these activities. We believe our land segment is well-positioned to continue growing market share, both organically and through leveraging the capabilities of our acquisitions, including Flyers Energy Group, LLC ("Flyers"), which we acquired in January 2022, serving to further enhance our business to deliver value-added solutions to our land fuel customers.

In connection with our fuel marketing activities, we distribute fuel under long-term contracts to branded and unbranded distributors, convenience stores and retail fuel outlets operated by third parties. We also distribute heating oil to residential customers and unbranded fuel to numerous other customers, including commercial and industrial customers, such as manufacturing, mining, agriculture, construction, and oil and gas exploration companies. These transactions may be pursuant to fuel purchase contracts or through spot sales. In certain instances, we serve as a reseller, where we purchase fuel from a supplier and contemporaneously resell it to our customers through spot and contract sales. We also maintain inventory in certain strategic locations, the cost of which is generally tied to market-based formulas.

Finally, we also provide transportation logistics for our product deliveries, including arranging for fuel products to be delivered from storage terminals to the appropriate sites through our own fleet of trucks as well as third-party transportation providers. The fuel is generally delivered to our customers directly or to a designated tanker truck loading terminal commonly referred to as "racks," which are owned and operated by our suppliers or other third-parties.

Marine Segment

Through our extensive network, we market fuel, lubricants, and related products and services to a broad base of marine customers, including international container, dry bulk and tanker fleets, commercial cruise lines, yachts and time-charter operators, U.S. and foreign governments, as well as other fuel suppliers. We provide our customers with real-time global market intelligence and rapid access to quality and competitively priced marine fuel 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Our marine fuel-related services include management services for the procurement of fuel, cost control through the use of price risk management offerings, quality control and claims management. We have also sought to take a leading role in developing a sustainable marine fuel supply chain. Through collaboration with suppliers, customers and other industry participants, we are actively working to create near-term solutions and identify lower carbon alternatives that will enable the acceleration of the energy transition in the maritime industry.

We serve primarily as a reseller, where we take delivery for fuel purchased from our supplier at the same place and time as the fuel is sold to our customer. We also sell fuel from our inventory, which we maintain in storage facilities that we own or lease. In certain cases, we serve as a broker and are paid a commission for negotiating the fuel purchase transaction between the supplier and the end-user, as well as for expediting delivery of the fuel.

The majority of our marine segment activity consists of spot sales. Our cost of fuel is generally tied to spot pricing, market-based formulas, or government-controlled prices. We also contract with third parties to provide various services for our customers, including fueling of vessels in ports and at sea and transportation and delivery of fuel and fuel-related products.

Competitors

We operate globally across industries that are highly fragmented with numerous competitors. Our competitors range from large multinational corporations, which have significantly greater capital resources than us, to relatively small and specialized firms that compete with us in a particular line of business. In our fuel distribution activities, we compete with major oil companies that market fuel and other energy products directly to large commercial airlines, shipping companies, petroleum distributors operating in the land transportation market, fuel resellers and other commercial and industrial customers. We compete, among other things, on the basis of service, convenience, reliability, availability of trade credit and price. We believe that our extensive market knowledge, worldwide footprint, logistics expertise and support, the use of price risk management offerings, and value-added benefits, including single-supplier convenience, fuel quality control and fuel procurement outsourcing, give us the ability to compete within those markets.

Seasonality

Our operating results can be subject to seasonal variability. Our seasonality may result from numerous factors, including demand changes related to seasonal travel and weather patterns. Our results for the second and third quarters of the year have historically been stronger for our aviation segment and our results for the fourth and first quarters of the year have historically been stronger for our land segment.

Governmental Regulation

Environment

Supplying fuel safely and securely is a top priority. We monitor and manage our operations through processes and procedures designed to avoid and minimize our effects and impacts on the environment. Our business activities are subject to numerous federal, state, local and international laws, regulations and administrative requirements, including those relating to the sale, blending, storage, transportation, delivery and disposal of fuel and the collection, transportation, processing, storage, use and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. For example, U.S. federal and state environmental laws applicable to us include statutes that: (i) allocate the cost of remedying contamination among specifically identified parties; (ii) impose national ambient standards and, in some cases, emission standards, for air pollutants that present a risk to public health or welfare; (iii) govern the management, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes; and (iv) regulate the discharge of pollutants into waterways. International treaties also prohibit the discharge of petroleum products at sea.

Compliance with existing and future laws that regulate the delivery of fuel by barge, truck, vessel, pipeline or other means; fuel storage terminals or underground storage tanks that we own, lease or operate; or the quality of product under our control may require capital expenditures and increased operating and maintenance costs, particularly as we continue to expand our physical operations. In addition, continuing changes in environmental laws and regulations may also require capital expenditures by our customers or otherwise increase our customers’ operating costs, which could in turn, reduce the demand for our products and services or impact the pricing or availability of the products we sell. Environmental laws and regulations have historically been subject to frequent change and have tended to become more stringent and costly over time.

We could be subject to joint and several as well as strict liability for environmental contamination or violations of environmental regulations. Some of our current and former properties have been operated by third parties whose handling and management of hazardous materials were not under our control. Pursuant to certain environmental laws, we could be responsible for investigating and remediating contamination, including impacts attributable to prior site occupants or other third parties, and for implementing remedial measures to mitigate the risk of future contamination. In some cases, we may be eligible to receive money from state underground storage tank trust funds to help fund remediation. However, receipt of such payments is subject to stringent eligibility requirements and other limitations that can significantly reduce the availability of such trust fund payments and may delay or increase the duration of associated cleanups. Any such contamination, leaks from storage tanks or other releases of regulated materials could result in claims against us by governmental authorities and other third parties for fines or penalties, natural resource damages, personal injury and property damage.

From time to time, we are subject to legal and administrative actions governing the investigation and remediation of contamination or spills from current and past operations. The penalties for violations of environmental laws can include injunctive relief; administrative, civil or criminal penalties; recovery of damages for injury to air, water or property; and third-party damages. Some environmental laws may also impose strict liability for remediation of spills and releases of oil and hazardous substances, which could subject us to liability without regard to whether we were negligent or at fault. See Item 1A. – Risk Factors.

Climate Change and Sustainability

Climate change continues to be an area of focus at the local, national and international levels. As a result, a number of countries have adopted, or are considering the adoption of, regulatory frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions. In the U.S., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has adopted rules requiring the reporting of GHG emissions by petroleum product suppliers and facilities meeting certain annual emissions thresholds and regulating emissions from major sources of GHGs under the Clean Air Act. In addition, several states and geographic regions in the U.S. have also adopted legislation and regulations to reduce emissions of GHGs, such as such as California, Oregon and Washington, which have formally enacted cap-and-trade programs and low carbon fuel standard obligations.

Shortly after taking office in January 2021, President Biden issued a series of executive orders designed to address climate change, including rejoining the Paris Agreement after the U.S. had withdrawn from the international accord in 2020. Additionally, in August 2022 the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into law, which appropriates significant federal funding for renewable energy initiatives and imposes a fee on GHG emissions from certain facilities in the oil and natural gas sector. Various provisions of the law are designed to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels or otherwise could adversely impact the use of petroleum-based fuels. In January 2023, the Biden Administration and various federal agencies, including the EPA and Departments of Energy and Transportation, announced a "blueprint" for decarbonizing the transportation sector in the U.S. to meet the goal of net-zero GHG emissions economy-wide by 2050. The strategy includes promoting wider adoption of electric vehicles and greater use of sustainable fuels to decarbonize forms of transportation that require more energy-dense fuels, such as air transportation and long-haul shipping. At an international level, the European Union ("E.U.") has committed to reducing net GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030. E.U. member states have implemented a range of subsidies and incentives to achieve the EU’s climate change goals, including through the European Union Emissions Trading System (‘‘EU ETS’’) for industrial emissions. The EU ETS is expected to become progressively more stringent over time, such as by including by reducing the number of allowances to emit GHGs as well as broadening the industries subject to the restrictions. In other non-E.U. countries, regulations include the adoption of cap and trade regimes, carbon taxes, restrictive permitting, increased efficiency standards, and incentives or mandates for renewable energy.

Regulatory requirements related to ESG or sustainability reporting have been adopted and may continue to be introduced in various jurisdictions. For example, the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive became effective in 2023 and applies to both EU and certain non-EU entities. In October 2023, California enacted the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act and the Climate Related Financial Risk Act that will require large public and private companies that do business within the state to disclose their Scopes 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions, with third party assurance of GHG emissions information for certain entities, and issue public reports on their climate-related financial risk and related mitigation measures. In 2023, California also enacted the Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act, which requires companies that operate within the state and make certain climate-related claims to provide enhanced disclosure around the achievement of such claims. We expect regulatory disclosure requirements related to ESG matters to continue to expand globally.

Although the ultimate impact of these or other future measures is difficult to accurately predict, additional legislation or regulations could impose significant additional costs on us, our suppliers, vendors and customers, or could adversely affect demand for our energy products. The potential increase in our operating costs could include additional costs to operate and maintain our facilities, such as installing new infrastructure or technology to respond to new mandates, or paying taxes related to our GHG emissions, among others. Furthermore, changes in regulatory policies or increased awareness and any adverse publicity in the global marketplace about potential impacts on climate change by us or other companies in our industry could result in a reduction in the demand for hydrocarbon products that are deemed to contribute to GHGs, harm our reputation and adversely impact our sales of fuel products. See Item 1A. – Risk Factors.

Other Regulations

As a global organization with customers and operations around the world, we are subject to an often complicated, multi-jurisdictional matrix of laws and regulations that govern international trade, including laws relating to anti-corruption, anti-money-laundering, export controls, economic sanctions, anti-boycott rules, currency exchange controls and transfer pricing rules. These laws and regulations are administered by, among others, the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of State, SEC, Internal Revenue Service, U.S Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of the Treasury, as well as the counterparts of these agencies in foreign countries. As a result of the military conflict in Eastern Europe, countries in which we operate have imposed sanctions on Russia and other individuals and entities with connections to the Russian state. These sanctions continue to evolve and have become significantly more stringent over time. Violations of these sanctions can result in significant penalties and civil and criminal liabilities.

We are also subject to a variety of other U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, relating to:

•labor and employment;

•workplace and driver safety;

•consumer protection;

•data privacy and protection;

•cybersecurity;

•commodities trading, brokerage, derivatives and advisory services;

•credit and payment card processing and payment services;

•petroleum marketing;

•human rights and modern slavery;

•antitrust and competition; and

•other regulatory reporting and licensing requirements.

Due to the complex and technical nature of many of these laws and regulations, inadvertent violations may occur. If we fail to comply with these laws or regulations for any reason, we would be required to correct or implement measures to prevent a recurrence of any violations, which could increase our operating costs. See Item 1A. – Risk Factors for additional information regarding the impacts of government regulation on our business.

Human Capital Resources

At World Kinect, we believe that our people's passion and expertise are what differentiates us and investing in our people is a top priority. Our comprehensive approach to serving our workforce includes our commitment to promoting a diverse and inclusive environment, as well as focusing on our employees' growth and development, health and safety, and overall well-being. The following charts provide information about our global workforce as of December 31, 2023:

Health and Safety

As a global energy management company, we are committed to doing the right thing in all that we do. We continually seek to minimize the impact of our operations and ensure the health and safety of our employees, contractors, customers, suppliers and the communities in which we operate. We are committed to playing a leading role in promoting best practices within the transportation industry and are closely involved in developing, setting, and maintaining health, safety and environment ("HSE") industry standards. We have established a set of "Rules to Live By" to help strengthen our existing Integrated Management System and drive appropriate safety behaviors and practices that we believe are vital to preventing workplace incidents. These rules are designed to ensure we execute our operations safely and securely for all our stakeholders.

We have developed what we believe to be a comprehensive process designed to identify, assess and manage HSE risks in our operations. We set targets for performance improvements, regularly measure, audit and report on our performance, and investigate near misses and incidents to determine root causes to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. We also expect our contractors to manage HSE matters in line with our policies and strive to maintain an open dialogue with our stakeholders and within the communities where we operate.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We place a high degree of focus on growth in position and career enhancement paths for our employees by providing professional development opportunities and cultivating a diverse talent pool. In this regard, we are working on increasing transparency across our company, particularly around our talent recruitment, development and retention efforts, as well as our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. These initiatives include providing unconscious bias training to our managers, promoting diverse interview panels in our recruiting process and actively participating in veteran programs that provide employment opportunities and educational support to military veterans and their families.

Employee Development and Well-Being

Investing in our employees is a top priority and we continually strive to provide an environment that promotes learning, growth and development to maximize our people's potential. We are committed to creating a learning culture that builds skills needed for the future and develops great leaders. We provide a variety of resources to further our employees' development, including online resources as well as in-person and virtual training programs to develop skills and gain knowledge that advances employees' careers.

We are also committed to supporting the health and well-being of our employees and their families, as we believe that the key to successful business operations is a healthy and competent workforce. We have identified a strong connection between employee well-being and the safety of business operations. Accordingly, we are devoted to supporting employee well-being in all dimensions, which goes beyond their physical well-being and includes support for emotional, financial and social well-being. It is a holistic approach intended to provide support and resources that empower our employees and their families to embrace a healthy lifestyle. We have launched various programs designed to build a global culture that promotes and celebrates employee health and well-being in our locations around the world. The goal of these programs is to integrate employee health and well-being into the World Kinect culture through fun and educational events, webinars, activities and fitness challenges.

Community Engagement

As a global company, we are focused on creating a positive impact, encouraging our employees to support the communities in which they live, and engaging with and supporting charities in all aspects of society. We believe that fostering sustainable growth is about conducting our business in a manner that promotes a healthy environment and strengthens the local communities where we operate.

Forward-Looking Statements

This 2023 10-K Report and the information incorporated by reference in it, or made by us in other reports, filings with the SEC, press releases, teleconferences, industry conferences or otherwise, contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "project," "could," "would," "will," "will be," "will continue," "plan," or words or phrases of similar meaning. Specifically, this 2023 10-K Report includes forward-looking statements regarding (i) expectations regarding inflation and its impact on us, (ii) the conditions in the aviation, land, and marine markets and their impact on our business, (iii) our growth strategies, including the position of our land segment to gain market share, (iv) the impact of fuel prices and our working capital, liquidity, and capital expenditure requirements, (v) our expectations and estimates regarding tax, legal and accounting matters, including the impact on our financial statements, (vi) our hedging strategy, (vii)

estimates regarding the financial impact of our derivative and other trading contracts and (viii) estimated savings arising out of various cost reduction efforts. These forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosures contained in our SEC filings.

These forward-looking statements are estimates and projections reflecting our best judgment and involve risks, uncertainties or other factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Although we believe the estimates and projections reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may prove to be incorrect. Our actual results may differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results and events anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

•customer and counterparty creditworthiness and our ability to collect accounts receivable and settle derivative contracts;

•changes in the market prices of energy or commodities or extremely high or low fuel prices that continue for an extended period of time;

•adverse conditions in the industries in which our customers operate;

•our inability to effectively mitigate certain financial risks and other risks associated with derivatives and our physical fuel products;

•our ability to achieve the expected level of benefit from our restructuring activities and cost reduction initiatives;

•relationships with our employees and potential labor disputes associated with employees covered by collective bargaining agreements;

•our failure to comply with restrictions and covenants governing our outstanding indebtedness;

•the impact of cyber and other information security related incidents;

•changes in the political, economic or regulatory environment generally and in the markets in which we operate, such as the current conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East;

•greenhouse gas reduction programs and other environmental and climate change legislation adopted by governments around the world, including cap and trade regimes, carbon taxes, increased efficiency standards and mandates for renewable energy, each of which could increase our operating and compliance costs as well as adversely impact our sales of fuel products;

•changes in credit terms extended to us from our suppliers;

•non-performance of suppliers on their sale commitments and customers on their purchase commitments;

•non-performance of third-party service providers;

•our ability to effectively integrate and derive benefits from acquired businesses;

•our ability to meet financial forecasts associated with our operating plan;

•lower than expected cash flows and revenues, which could impair our ability to realize the value of recorded intangible assets and goodwill;

•the availability of cash and sufficient liquidity to fund our working capital and strategic investment needs;

•currency exchange fluctuations;

•inflationary pressures and their impact on our customers or the global economy, including sudden or significant increases in interest rates or a global recession;

•our ability to effectively leverage technology and operating systems and realize the anticipated benefits;

•failure to meet fuel and other product specifications agreed with our customers;

•environmental and other risks associated with the storage, transportation and delivery of petroleum products;

•reputational harm from adverse publicity arising out of spills, environmental contamination or public perception about the impacts on climate change by us or other companies in our industry;

•risks associated with operating in high-risk locations, including supply disruptions, border closures and other logistical difficulties that arise when working in these areas;

•uninsured or underinsured losses;

•seasonal variability that adversely affects our revenues and operating results, as well as the impact of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfires;

•declines in the value and liquidity of cash equivalents and investments;

•our ability to retain and attract senior management and other key employees;

•changes in U.S. or foreign tax laws, interpretations of such laws, changes in the mix of taxable income among different tax jurisdictions, or adverse results of tax audits, assessments, or disputes;

•our failure to generate sufficient future taxable income in jurisdictions with material deferred tax assets and net operating loss carryforwards;

•changes in multilateral conventions, treaties, tariffs or other arrangements between or among sovereign nations, including the U.K.'s exit from the E.U.;

•our ability to comply with U.S. and international laws and regulations, including those related to anti-corruption, economic sanction programs and environmental matters;

•the outcome of litigation, regulatory investigations and other legal matters, including the associated legal and other costs; and

•other risks, including those described in Item 1A. – Risk Factors in this 2023 10-K Report and those described from time to time in our other filings with the SEC.

We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for us to predict all of those risks, nor can we assess the impact of all of those risks on our business or the extent to which any factor may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and unless required by law, we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to publicly update any of them in light of new information, future events, or otherwise. Any public statements or disclosures by us following this report that modify or impact any of the forward-looking statements contained in or accompanying this 2023 10-K Report will be deemed to modify or supersede such forward-looking statements.

For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, as amended.